Guest blog by Eileen Welch
Class and Professor Overview
One of my favorite experiences during my time at Booth has been being a student, and now a Teaching Assistant, in Alyssa Rapp’s class Women as CEOs, Investors, Directors, and Executives. The class’s syllabus states the goal of the class as: “Examining the unique challenges and opportunities for women in the ecosystem of corporate America, as entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and private equity investors, civic leaders, and more.”
The class is much like Professor Alyssa Rapp: thorough, thought-provoking, and inspiring. In my first year at Booth, this class was a perfect opportunity to learn from women leaders who were driving forward their careers in a broad array of elite and impactful industries. The class opened my eyes to the variety of roles that were available to me – and how many different ways female leaders across the corporate world have climbed the ladder and found ways to make impacts on their communities.
Weekly Blogs & Cases
Prior to each class, students are required to submit a blog post reflecting on the class material; at the start of each class, Professor Rapp reads some of the most impactful blog entries of the week – creating an inviting environment where classmates get to know each other through their own words and personal stories.
Following the blog readings, the class discusses a different case, exploring industries from media to investing to food and beverage. An hour or more is spent discussing the relevant industry, the pivotal choices made, and questions brought up in the case. Each case discussion results in students grappling with how gender may play into the case protagonist’s decisions and ultimate professional outcomes. I learned from Professor Rapp, my classmates, and industry experts about a wide variety of industries, and I had the opportunity to share my own thoughts and experiences in a collaborative and empathetic space.
Guest Speakers
After the case discussion, students quickly see real-world application; speakers from the relevant industry join the class for a panel and discussion with students. Each week, I was impressed and inspired by the guest speakers. They ranged from Christie Hefner, former CEO of Playboy, to prominent private equity investors, to Valerie Jarret, former Senior Advisor to Barack Obama. I heard firsthand about sitting on Boards, working with President Obama, starting companies, and much more. I also heard about the personal and professional challenges that so many of the guest speakers who joined have faced throughout their careers. Through weekly guest speakers, I was reminded of the need for grit, tenacity, and courage to have a long and successful career – particularly in male-dominated industries.
From Student to TA
After completing this course in my first year at Booth, I was so excited to be able to sit through it again in my second year as a Teaching Assistant. Working with a Professor who I so greatly admire and hearing from a new group of students’ perspectives and experiences has reignited the inspiration that I first encountered in this class last year. It’s been great to share my own learnings and experiences with this year’s group of students – and to once again hear and learn from Professor Rapp and the impressive speakers who she brings in to join the class throughout the quarter.
Beyond Booth
I’m looking forward to carrying the inspiration that I have gathered from this class into my career moving forward. The learnings regarding tactics to succeed in challenging careers, pushing back when something seems wrong, and continuing to fight for yourself and what you want will stay with me as I begin in my post-MBA full-time role. I’ve been inspired by Professor Rapp, my classmates, and leaders across the business world. This class truly embodies the Booth mindset of collaboration, openness, questioning the status quo, and continuous, never-end personal development and improvement.
